6 Trauma-free Tips For Traveling With Children

Traveling with children doesn’t have to be a hassle: in fact, it can be a smooth-sailing adventure with the proper preparations. The experts have said that the most important thing to keep in mind when traveling is to pack light, leave extra room for hiccups and emergencies, and over prepare for any scenario. Here are six tips to make your next family travel adventure as fun as possible.

Take public transportation. If you plan to travel to an area with a relatively safe, clean, and efficient transportation system, you can save yourself the headache of both driving and parking – especially if traveling in a major metropolitan city. In areas where traffic is congested, it makes perfect sense to avail any rail or bus systems by ditching the rental car at the hotel. If you take advantage of these public services to get where you need to go, it will not only add excitement and novelty to your day’s adventures, but will also make for a more memorable overall experience.

Encourage picture-taking. If you have a young child that is not yet ready for an adult-size camera – you may want to consider buying them a strong child-proof digital camera to bring with them on your journey. Kid-friendly cameras start in the $40-60 range. While it’s definitely a bit of an investment, it’s money well-spent when you see how much more engaged (and quiet) your child will be when stuck in the inevitable waiting line, restaurant while hungry, or on a long “boring” train-ride. Having the lens of the camera to look through also encourages them to observe their environments more attentively and it’s also always fun to go back and look at all their unique shots later to discover what things caught their attention. You can always enlarge some of the shots to hang in a place of prominence in your home as well – which will make them swell with pride!

Invest in a child locator. All toddlers love to explore, and push the boundaries of their new-found freedom. Unfortunately, they can sometimes can get a little TOO free – and wander quite a ways off quicker than you can imagine. Invest in a toddler locator and have your little one wear one half while you keep the other. Then, if they manage to go “exploring” without you noticing, you will be able to find them quickly. For your older children, give them a pre-paid cell phone so that, in the event either of you gets lost or separated, you can give a call to reconnect and meet-up. It’s also best to have a pre-arranged meet-up place and time. For example, plan to meet for a meal at a nearby restaurant at a certain hour. Additionally, if you still have a bit of say over what your kids can and can’t wear – have them wear bright and memorable clothing, and be sure to snap their picture before leaving on your outings for the day so that you have an accurate current picture of them just in case. Plus, the bright clothes will make them easier to spot from a distance.

Bring the baby wipes. Even if your children have been out of diapers for some time, be sure to pack some disposable baby wipes. Not only are they incredibly helpful for wiping down tables, chairs, and toilet seats on public places, if they have a bit of alcohol in the formula, they can also clean up hands, remove dirt on windshield wipers to cut down on streaking in the rain, and other things as well. I could probably write a whole post just touting the magic of disposable wipes: they are both inexpensive and convenient – a must have item in any travel pack.

Prep for emergencies. Before venturing into any new city, take the time to learn where you can go in case of a medical emergency. This is especially important to research if anyone in your family has a history of asthma or allergies. Even if that’s not the case – accidents and unplanned emergencies can and do happen, so be sure to note down the name, location, and phone number of any nearby emergency clinics or hospitals in your travel destinations. Be sure to keep any and all of your important medications with you at all times. Also, consider packing antiseptic wipes and bandages to treat minor cuts and scrapes.

Ditch the cash. Travelers can be more susceptible to identity theft and other financial woes. Ask your bank for a limited use travel debit card – usually they are free and are issued from a new separate account that is not linked to your main account. Try to avoid carrying any cash, except in small amounts. Carry your safer debit card instead so if it does get lost or stolen, you can rest easy knowing that your primary accounts are safe and you won’t have to deal with a huge number of unauthorized purchases, lines of credit being opened, or being authorized to others in your name.

With some thoughtful planning, and a bit of preparation, you can ensure that your next family vacation is as drama-free as possible: Happy traveling!

Author Bio

Janet Kozak is a passionate blogger who loves to write on different health related topics. She is working for different health brands including Kids Urgent Care, a Florida Hospital for Children providing best pediatric care to the families.